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“It normally takes more time to correct a mistake than to make a mistake.” _Thomas Oden, Life in the Spirit, p.471
I’m on a mission to help us make better decisions.
Just yesterday a friend shared a ridiculous situation that he got himself into—all because of a very foolish decision he made. I asked, “Why did you do that?” He replied, “It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”
And that is exactly what I want us to think about today: Timing.
In my efforts to build a template or checklist to help us make better decisions my first question was: Does this decision even need to be made?
Today I am adding: Does this decision have to be made now?
Society admires the “man of action.” You know the guy. He steps up and starts – rapid fire – making decisions. Things are set in motion. Wheels start turning, people start moving, things start happening—it’s all very exciting. It feels like something is getting done.
I get it.
And sometimes that is what is required.
But all of life is not an evacuation drill. (Or should not be.)
The answer to most questions of what should be done is: “It’s complicated.”
The rapid-fire guy can easily miss the right target and end up doing a lot of damage…permanent damage.
Thus, withholding judgment until a decision absolutely has to be made greatly increases the odds that a good decision is ultimately made.
Remember, almost everything that needs to happen will happen without your input. Who’s to say that the decision you face next is not one of those decisions. Give it time, it’s amazing how many things will work themselves without you doing a thing.
The ONE THING for today: Procrastination does not have to be a bad word. In the same way that leaving the bat on your shoulder instead of chasing bad pitches increases your battling average, tapping the brakes on most decisions can greatly decrease the number of crashes you have.
Checklist for Making Great Decisions:
- Does this decision even need to be made?
- Does this decision need to be now?
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